MORE OF SOMETHING MORE,
a story about a salesman trying to establish himself,
a CEO scheming to buy out his father's influence
and the woman important to each
26
Atom Green sketched a circle around the
lawn filling with wedding guests. In blazer, expensive grass-wet shoes and
baseball cap, he looked like a hybrid worker-guest, which allowed him to stroll
without challenge about the dais and arbor. All the while thoughts of Helen and
Slade quickened his pulse and caused his teeth to clench.
He became fixated on the arbor that stood
eight feet high. He had watched as workers laced its bare metal skeleton with
willow limbs then festooned the arch with purple and white hyacinth, creating a thing tribal and elemental that stretched for and was framed by sky.
When positioned to the east, he could see the surging marine-green ocean
through the portal; looking uphill from the west, the earth clad in bladed
green. It was unity of sky, sea, earth and -- fire, the human spirit
represented by bride and groom. But the nightmare was Slade pulling Helen
through to lock her in a future dominated by him. Real, symbolic or just
imagined, he had to save her.
As two p.m. approached, ushers helped the
celebrants to their seats in the semi-circle of chairs, behind which two tents
on either side of an inlaid wooden path served as staging points for the
wedding party. When the groom entered, Atom stared at his erstwhile peer and competitor, Dave Forester.
Anticipation grew, reflected in rising
chatter. A priest in purple vestments stood waiting to begin. Atom crept
closer, pinballing behind scattered people watching from the lawn. He
recognized some in the audience, like his former sales manager Jeremy Port, the
chairman and others. The
scheduled starting time came and went and the impatient crowd seemed to urge
the ceremony on, and then something like a group exhalation sounded as a
procession of about a dozen led by the CEO descended from the
mansion. His straining eyes looked for Helen then spotted her, hidden behind
Slade. Only on their passing did he get a clear view. She looked straight ahead
and did not see him, affording him an intimate peek at her beautiful
face.
The group settled in the front row. Slade mounted the dais to stand beside the perplexed priest and gaze over the
assembly. “Begin,” he said then took the seat beside Helen.
Wanting to be in her line of vision, Atom
positioned himself beyond and to the left of the arbor. He removed his cap and
ran his fingers through his dark hair and stood defiantly revealed. She looked
forward though not far enough, it seemed.
The bridal parties entered and deployed
to their positions and the bride and groom completed the set. Under the
brilliant sun --gleaming white dresses, crisp suits, sharp creases and beaming
smiles all around.
Finally, the groom kissed the bride to
loud applause and then led her through the arbor and back onto the dais. They
posed for pictures while the assembly disbanded, some lingering and others
heading toward the mansion. Atom moved swiftly to where she was standing, and
reached out to take her hand. “Helen,” he implored.
Her eyes seemed to acknowledge him though
her face showed no affect. He pulled her hand and she followed him up the
sloping lawn. Looking over his shoulder once and then again, he felt vulnerable crossing the wide expanse. He headed for the side of the building near the service entrance. When
they turned the corner, he stopped and looked squarely at her open yet unseeing
eyes. “Say something! What’s wrong?”
Without warning, Slade pushed him aside
and lifted her like a doll. Her arms swayed limply, and he kissed her full on the
mouth. “She wants to be with me,” he sneered. Atom rushed him, but felt a tug
on the collar and then pain in the back of the head—
The characters and events in this story are fictitious and do not represent any living person or real event.
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